Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants & Funding
There are 628 UK funders offering grants for arts, culture & heritage charities, with typical awards from £100 to £1,150,000.
The UK has a rich ecosystem of arts, culture, and heritage funding. Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland provide public funding, while a wide network of trusts and foundations supports independent arts organisations and creative projects. Grants range from core funding for established cultural institutions to small project awards for emerging artists and community arts groups. Heritage funding covers historic buildings, archives, museums, oral history, and intangible cultural heritage. The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Garfield Weston Foundation are major arts funders alongside more specialist trusts. Participatory arts — projects where communities actively create rather than just consume culture — have seen strong funder interest. Many grant-makers value arts projects that deliver social outcomes alongside cultural ones: improving mental health, building community cohesion, or engaging marginalised groups. Rural touring, digital arts, and diversity in cultural leadership are current funding priorities.
Quick Stats
- Total Funders
- 628
- Grant Range
- £100 - £1,150,000
- Open to Applications
- 54%
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Clear filtersFilters use programme details verified from each funder's own published guidance. Funders we haven't verified yet are listed separately below, never hidden.
Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders
35 of 628 match your filtersChecked against verified programme data for 122 of 628 funders. 506 not yet verified are listed below; 87 that don't fit were excluded.
Architectural Heritage Fund
Verified openMatching programme: Project Development Grants (PDG) - Scotland
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), a UK-registered charity founded in 1976, champions the conservation and sustainable reuse of historic buildings...
Authors' Contingency Fund
Verified openMatching programme: Authors' Contingency Fund
The Authors' Contingency Fund, established in 1963 by donations from authors and supporters, is administered by the Society of Authors to provide imme...
Book Trade Charity
Verified openMatching programme: Entry to the trade grants
The Book Trade Charity (BTBS), founded in 1837 by and for the UK publishing, bookselling, and book distribution sectors, serves as an essential safety...
Clive Richards Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: UK Based Projects
The Clive Richards Foundation, established in 1986 by entrepreneur Clive Richards and his wife Sylvia (renamed in Clive's honour after his 2021 passin...
Elmgrant Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Individual Grants
The Elmgrant Trust, family-founded in 1936 by Leonard and Dorothy Elmhirst and Beatrice, carries forward the Dartington Hall ethos of rural regenerati...
Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Medium Grant
The Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust (EKCT), established in 1963 by Ernest and Joan Kleinwort, is a family-led grant-making foundation dedicated to m...
Essex Heritage Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Essex Heritage Trust Grants
Essex Heritage Trust is an independent grant-making charity established in 1990 following Essex Heritage Year 1989, dedicated to preserving and making...
Freelands Foundation Limited
Verified openMatching programme: Learning Through Making Fund
Freelands Foundation is a UK charity dedicated to ensuring universal access to visual arts education and participation, empowering individuals regardl...
Glaziers Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Ashton Hill & Lever Grants
The Glaziers Foundation, the charitable arm of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass—a City of London Livery Company founded in the...
Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Grants for repair and improvement of places of Christian worship
Gloucestershire Historic Churches Trust is an independent charity dedicated to preserving and sustaining historic places of Christian worship across a...
Grantscape
Verified openMatching programme: SUEZ Communities Fund - England
Grantscape, established in 1997, is a specialist UK charitable grant-maker dedicated to strengthening local communities and protecting the natural env...
James Pantyfedwen Foundation (Ymddiriedolaeth James Pantyfedwen)
Verified openMatching programme: Equipment and Resources
The James Pantyfedwen Foundation (Ymddiriedolaeth James Pantyfedwen), established in 1998 as the successor to trusts founded by Sir D J James, is a Wa...
Keith Howard Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Emergency Fund
The Keith Howard Foundation is an independent charitable trust founded in 2008 with a mission to create lasting societal change and positive impact in...
Margaret Davies Charity
Verified openMatching programme: Main Grants Fund
The Margaret Davies Charity, officially The Gwendoline and Margaret Davies Charity, was established by trust deed in 1934 to perpetuate the philanthro...
Marsh Christian Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Grants Programme
The Marsh Charitable Trust (formerly Marsh Christian Trust), established in 1981 by Brian Marsh OBE, is a UK-based funder dedicated to sustaining smal...
Mayor of London's Fund for Young Musicians
Verified openMatching programme: Junior Scholarships
The Mayor of London's Fund for Young Musicians, trading as the London Music Fund, is an independent charity established in 2011 with the Mayor as Patr...
Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Local Grants
The Millennium Stadium Charitable Trust is an independent Welsh grant-maker founded to harness the legacy of the Millennium Stadium for enhancing qual...
Mobbs Memorial Trust Limited
Verified openMatching programme: General Grant Programme
The Mobbs Memorial Trust Limited, established in 1956 by Sir Noel Mobbs using family endowment funds, is a family-governed grantmaker dedicated to pre...
Monmouthshire County Council Welsh Church Act Fund
Verified openMatching programme: Monmouthshire County Council Welsh Church Act Fund
The Monmouthshire County Council Welsh Church Act Fund, rooted in the 1914 Welsh Church Act, is a charitable trust managed by Monmouthshire County Cou...
National Funding Scheme
Verified openMatching programme: DONATE™ Digital Fundraising Platform
The National Funding Scheme is a pioneering UK charity founded to revolutionize charitable fundraising through cutting-edge digital technology, democr...
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Verified openMatching programme: National Lottery Grants for Heritage £10,000–£250,000
The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK's largest dedicated heritage funder established in 1994 (with roots in the 1980 National Heritage Memorial ...
Norfolk Churches Trust Limited
Verified openMatching programme: 50 Locks for 50 Churches
Norfolk Churches Trust Limited, founded in 1976 amid threats to Norfolk's historic churches, is a specialist charity dedicated to protecting, repairin...
Northumbria Historic Churches Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Main Grants Programme
Northumbria Historic Churches Trust champions the stewardship and preservation of historic Christian churches as enduring community assets, ensuring t...
Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust (2016)
Verified openMatching programme: General Grant Programme
The Oxfordshire Historic Churches Trust (OHCT), established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in 2016 while continuing the mission of the 1964...
P H Holt Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Main Grant Programme
The P H Holt Foundation is a legacy-driven grantmaker rooted in over a century of philanthropy aimed at improving everyday life for Merseyside residen...
Prince Philip Trust Fund
Verified openMatching programme: General Grants
The Prince Philip Trust Fund, established in 1977 by Sir Christopher Aston to honour HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's service during the first 25 years of ...
Ross Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: John Ross MBE Community Fund
The Ross Foundation, formally the David Ross Foundation, was established in 2007 by UK entrepreneur and philanthropist David Ross, co-founder of Carph...
Royal Theatrical Fund
Verified openMatching programme: Main Fund
The Royal Theatrical Fund, established in 1839 by actors led by Charles Dickens and expanded through Royal Charters in 1853 and 1974, is a specialist ...
Sackler Trust
Verified openMatching programme: The Sackler Trust
The Sackler Trust is a UK-based grant-making foundation established in 2010 with a mission to advance medical science, healthcare innovation, educatio...
Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation Grants
Sheffield Grammar School Exhibition Foundation advances educational opportunity for financially needy local city residents through scholarships, bursa...
Shropshire Historic Churches Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Grants
Shropshire Historic Churches Trust (SHCT), established in 1991, is a dedicated charity preserving Shropshire’s ecclesiastical heritage through grants ...
Swire Charitable Trust
Verified openMatching programme: Swire Charitable Trust
The Swire Charitable Trust, established in 1975 by Sir John Swire CBE and Sir Adrian Swire and funded primarily by John Swire & Sons Limited, is an in...
Theatres Trust Charitable Fund
Verified openMatching programme: Theatre Improvement Scheme
The Theatres Trust Charitable Fund, established in 1977 to support the national advisory body Theatres Trust (created by the 1976 Theatres Trust Act),...
Thriplow Charitable Trust
Verified openMatching programme: General Funding
The Thriplow Charitable Trust, established in 1993 as a family trust, advances higher education and research with a strong preference for UK instituti...
Triodos Foundation
Verified openMatching programme: Triodos Foundation Grant
Triodos Foundation, established in 1996 as an expression of Triodos Bank’s ethos of sustainable, ethical finance, is a UK-registered grant-maker dedic...
506 funders not yet verified against these filters
We haven't confirmed these funders' programme details yet, so they may or may not fit. Showing the first 10.
Tips for Applying to Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders
Arts and culture funders look for applications that articulate both artistic quality and social impact. Describe the creative excellence of your work — the artistic vision, calibre of practitioners, and cultural significance — alongside the social outcomes it delivers. Avoid reducing arts to a mere tool for social change; instead show how high-quality cultural experiences create transformative engagement. Detail your participatory methods, explaining how communities actively shape creative processes rather than simply attending performances or exhibitions. Demonstrate diversity and inclusion in your programming, governance, and workforce, showing concrete steps you are taking rather than aspirational statements. Present your audience development strategy, particularly how you reach people who do not currently engage with arts and culture, including evidence of barriers and how you address them. If your project involves cultural heritage, articulate its significance using frameworks such as heritage values or cultural asset mapping. Include evidence from previous work — audience feedback, participant testimonials, evaluation reports, or critical reviews — that demonstrates both artistic merit and meaningful engagement. Strong applications show a clear connection between creative ambition and community benefit, with realistic budgets that fairly compensate artists and creative practitioners.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Arts, Culture & Heritage Grants
What grants are available for arts, culture & heritage charities in the UK?
There are 628+ UK funders offering grants for arts, culture & heritage charities. These range from small community grants under £5,000 to large multi-year funding programmes exceeding £100,000. Use Fundermatcher to find the best match for your organisation.
How much funding can arts, culture & heritage organisations get?
Grant amounts for arts, culture & heritage charities vary widely depending on the funder and project. Typical grants range from £1,000 to over £100,000. Many funders offer multi-year funding for established organisations with a strong track record.
How do I apply for arts, culture & heritage grants?
Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your arts, culture & heritage work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 628+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.
How to Find the Right Arts, Culture & Heritage Funders
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Which of These 628 Funders Are Right for You?
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